Profile: Gwen Stacy

Gwen Stacy
First appearance: December 1965 in Amazing Spider-Man

Current status: dead since 1973

Was subjected to the following act of discrimination: are you thinking that what I mean is her being murdered by the Green Goblin when he knocked her off the George Washington Bridge in New York City? Nope. Guess again. It’s what was done to her about 30 years afterwards: she was made to look like some kind of slut, when J. Michael Straczynski came up with his bizarre storyline, “Sins Past”, in Amazing Spider-Man in 2004. She supposedly had sex with Norman Osborn, and this led to her becoming pregnant with twin children with some powers of their own, and who looked almost like Gwen, and Osborn himself. A very, VERY stupid and offensive storyline, it was way out of character, right down to the idea that Osborn would actually be willing to get involved with a girl much younger than himself, even if she was 20 years old at the time of her death.

What’s wrong with how this was done? It’s desecrating the grave of a character long dead, and who, even in death, has long been a most appreciated character, and another reason why Spider-Man is a dedicated crime-fighter, and why Peter Parker keeps his ID secret. Gwen and her memory should be allowed to rest in peace, but the political correctness of today would rather persecute her even in death, by implying that she was asking for it, and cheapening what’s otherwise thought to be a well-written storyline from the Bronze Age.

It’s also one of the many reasons why, as of recent, it’s become almost impossible to read the flagship Spidey titles, or anything Spidey related in comics today.